Injuries to Georgia Stanway, Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown mean the European champions might need to assess new options ahead of the summer
With little over three months until their European title defence begins, England's midfield is not in a good place. The Lionesses have lacked depth in that area for a while now, especially in the deeper roles that have long been held down by Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway. It has been far from ideal, then, to be hit hard by injuries in the middle of the park since the turn of the year.
Stanway underwent knee surgery in late January, throwing her ability to participate in this summer's tournament into doubt. Bayern Munich said the midfielder will be out for 'several months' and while Sarina Wiegman is "hopeful" that the 26-year-old can be back fit in time for the Euros, it's unclear just how much she'll be able to play beforehand, if that is indeed the case.
Given the lack of natural options behind Stanway in the No.8 role, her absence already made midfield a problematic area for England in their last camp. Ahead of their April fixtures, though, things are worse. Ruby Mace, the promising young holding midfielder who made her senior Lionesses debut in December, suffered a knee ligament injury earlier this month that doesn't require surgery, but will sideline her for a while. Then, on Sunday, it was confirmed that Laura Blindkilde Brown, another youngster who debuted in December, will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle problem.
None of these players are certain to be back ahead of the Euros, meaning it's imperative for Wiegman to look at other options in midfield ahead of the tournament. She's already starting to do that, as evidenced by Maisie Symonds' maiden call-up earlier this week. Who else could get an opportunity to impress before the Lionesses head to Switzerland? GOAL picks out six names who could potentially be looked at…
Getty ImagesMaisie Symonds
There are some really exciting young players coming through the England set-up, but it can sometimes be detrimental to a prospect's development to thrust them into such a demanding environment, like the Lionesses' one, so soon – unless they have the right character and experience. Wiegman clearly believes Symonds is ready for an opportunity, having called her up for the first time this week.
There are plenty of reasons to believe she is ready. The 22-year-old has been part of the first team at Brighton for four years now, racking up over 50 Women's Super League appearances already, and she is a player Wiegman and her staff know a lot about because of her regular involvement in the England youth teams.
As the Lionesses continue to turn to the Under-23s for the next player up, it makes total sense for Symonds to get the sort of opportunity that has also been granted to the likes of Mace, Blindkilde Brown, Jess Park and Aggie Beever-Jones recently. If she can take it, she could be on the plane to Switzerland this summer.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLexi Potter
Another potential gem in the England youth set-up is Lexi Potter, who looks to have an increasingly bright future. The 18-year-old has regularly caught the eye as a goal-scoring midfielder in the U17s and U19s and her ability to thrive in that box-to-box role is something that the Lionesses will certainly hope continues, as it is a position they desperately need to build depth in.
Potter is one of several midfielders in the youth teams who have shown promise but what sets her apart is the regular game time she is getting this season in the WSL. On loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, Potter was one of the Eagles' top performers when they won promotion last season and, despite being thrust into a very different situation in her second year at the club, in the form of a relegation battle, she has adapted to continue to catch the eye.
Wiegman may be tentative to bring her into the senior team so early, considering she doesn't turn 19 until August, but as the saying goes, if you're good enough, you're old enough. Potter has been showing that for the last couple of seasons.
Imagn ImagesKatie Zelem
While Symonds and Potter represent the readier of the young prospects Wiegman could turn to, many of her other options are experienced heads who she knows well. One of those is Katie Zelem. The 29-year-old has 12 caps for her country and was part of the squad that reached the 2023 Women's World Cup final, deputising nicely for Walsh in the group stage game against China after England's star holding midfielder picked up an injury.
Zelem hasn't been called up since December 2023 and Wiegman's most recent comments about the midfielder, who swapped Manchester for Los Angeles last summer when she moved from Man Utd to Angel City, were that she was not in her plans at the moment.
However, right now, England do not have anyone to back Walsh up in the holding midfield role, owing to Mace's injury, and Stanway's absence takes away major experience in the middle. If neither is back for this summer, it wouldn't be a surprise if Wiegman considered a recall for a player who knows the environment well and has played at a major tournament.
Getty ImagesJordan Nobbs
For very similar reasons, Jordan Nobbs may also be someone Wiegman thinks about bringing back into the picture. She, too, was part of the 2023 Women's World Cup squad and, with some 71 caps to her name, is a player who would bring plenty of experience to the table. Capable of playing as a holding midfielder, in a box-to-box role or as a No.10, she offers plenty of versatility as well.
Like Zelem, though, she has not been in consideration for well over a year. Nobbs' last call-up came in September 2023, after she had failed to make an appearance at that summer's World Cup just a few weeks prior. The Aston Villa star was in great form back then, too, and still couldn't get a look-in.
In truth, then, her chances of a return seem a little more unlikely than Zelem's. But, again, she would offer not only an option in a thin position, but also a lot of experience and versatility if players do not return to fitness in time to make the squad for Switzerland.
